On a narrow passage in a residential neighborhood of São Paulo, Terra E Tuma transformed a crumbling concrete building into a residential haven for an elderly woman.

The woman had lived in the house for decades and would have needed to move out had the home not been renovated – so the team behind Terra E Tuma joined forces to modernize it within the constraints of a tight time frame and limited budget. ‘Vila Matilda House’ features a sleek interior with exposed brick walls. Additionally, there’s a green courtyard on the ground floor, which can be accessed through the various living areas and kitchen, and a vegetable garden on the ceiling.

A simple solution, result of a long, complex and gratifying process.

The house is laid out in a 4.8m by 25m urban lot. On the ground floor, it features a living room, lavatory, kitchen, laundry and suite, to attend the needs of the homeowner. An articulation between lavatory, kitchen, laundry and an inner courtyard connects the living room at the front to the bedroom in the back. At the center, the green courtyard provides for light and ventilation. This area also serves as an extensions of the kitchen and laundry. The second floor accommodates a guest room, rendering a total area of 95m2. A vegetable garden grows on top of the living room’s concrete slab ceiling, and can be covered later to accommodate future demands of the family.

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